Condensation trap



Jan- 19, 1960 L. G. MARcorTE ETAL 2,921,432

coNnENsA'rIoN TRAP Filed sept. 2s, 195e ATTORNEY 'j/'Iiii 'i 2Q A v 27 ,//f ff Z6 INVENTOR W-- sonar-cl G. Maf-Coffe United States Patent CONDENSATION TRAP Leonard G. Marcotte and Alvin Q. Marcotte, St. Paul, Minn.

Application September 28, 1956, Serial No. 612,850

Z Claims. (Cl. 60-29) This invention relates with improvement in condensation traps, and deals more particularly with a condensation trap which is used in the exhaust line of an automobile engine, or the like.

Most mulers or silencers produced at the present time are made of a metal which is susceptible to rust. When condensation collects in these mulers, tend to oxidize the metal and to cause erosion. As a result, condensation tends to form holes in the muflier and accordingly, early replacement is necessary. An object of the present invention lies in the provision of a condensation trap between the automobile engine and the muler which tends to Collect the moisture and to eliminate this from the line, thereby definitely prolonging the life of the muffler.

It is a known fact that condensation collects in the exhaust lines of automobiles. This is particularly true in colder climates where the gases leaving the internal combustion engine which are heavily laden with moisture contact the cold surfaces of the exhaust pipe to precipitate thel moisture on the surface of the pipe. Once the exhaust pipe and the muler are heated by the exhaust gases, the moisture tends to evaporate and passes through the system without causing damage thereto. On the other hand, where the motor of the vehicle is not run for a suticient time to cause evaporation of the moisture in the line, this moisture collects in the muler and eventually causes the destruction of the same. In cold climates, this condensation is perfectly obvious in exhaust systems, and actually extends through the tail pipe of the vehiclecausing moisture to drip from the end of the tail pipe which is at a considerable distance from the muier.

One of the diiculties lies in the fact that the tail pipe of the vehicle usually is bent to extend over the rear axle of the vehicle. In present day automobiles, the muler is on an extremely low part of the automobile making it necessary for the tail pipe to be bent upwardly to pass over the rear axle. Thus moisture in the muier even when evaporated, must pass over this raised portion of the tail pipe to be exhausted through the rear end of the same. If the tail pipe of the vehicle is not heated suiciently to prevent condensation from collecting thereon, any condensation might well tend to drain back into the muller to cause deterioration thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a condensation trap which is mounted upon the exhaust line forwardly of the muffler. This trap is designed to receive any condensate which is collected by the exhaust line prior to the time that the exhaust enters the muier. As condensate normally collects during the time the exhaust pipe is cold and when the engine of the vehicle is first started, the major portion of the condensate may collect in the trap. Thus most of the injury to the tail pipe of the vehicle may be avoided by the arrangement which is provided.

A feature of the present invention lies in the fact that the condensate trap may be applied to the exhaust pipe ice l of a vehicle which has been previously produced. In order to apply the trap, it is only necessary to cut a hole in the bottom of the exhaust line leading to the muffler. The condensation trap is designed to partially encircle the exhaust line in alignment with the hole cut in this pipe. Moisture collecting in the exhaust line will' therefore drain into the condensate trap before entering the. muffler thereby greatly prolonging the life of the mufer itself.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the fact that the,A condensate trap is provided with a collecting portion which isdesigned to extend up into the exhaust pipe of the vehicle. As a result, the portion of the gases which are heavily laden with liquid will strike this projection and be deflected downwardly into the trap thereby eliminating the moisture from the exhaust gases.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the fact thatthe condensate trap is` provided with a thickness of insulating and absorbent material into which the liquid condensate is collected. l The thickness of material in the trap is suicient to prevent the loss of pressure in any great amount thus not having any effect on reducing the effectiveness of the muler in silencing the sounds of the engine. At the same time, the moisture may drain entirely through the body of material if suicient moisture collects so that moisture can be drained from the exhaust system without harmful effects to the mufer or to the tail pipe.

An added feature of the present invention lies in the fact that the condensate trap is closely associated with the exhaust line of the vehicle, the major portions thereof being separated from the exhaust line only by a gasket ofimaterial capable of -withstanding heat. As a result, the moisture trap in itself gradually heats as the moisture collects therein, but the rate at which the temperature rises in the moisture condensing .trap is materially less than the rate at which the muller and tail pipe increase in temperature.

As a result, moisture which is collected Within the body of absorbent material within the trap, if the moisture is not sufficient to drain through the lower opening thereof, will gradually vaporize, and pass through the mufer and tail pipe at a time when these elements are heated to such an extent that moisture will not collect thereon. As a result, the moisture which has collected in the trap, may be expelled without harmfulefects either to the muler or to the tailpipe.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In thedrawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure l is a diagrammatic view showing a vehicle engine, an exhaust line, the moisture trap, the muffler, and a portion of the tailpipe, showing the relationship of parts in the system.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view through the moisture trap'showing the arrangement of parts therein.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the moisture or condensation trap removed from the exhaust pipe.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view on the irregular section line 4-4 of Figure 2.

In general, the present device is used in connection with an internal combustion engine which is indicated in general by the numeral 10. This internal combustion engine is connected by an exhaust pipe 11 to a muier or silencer 12 which in turn is connected to a tail pipe 13. While no't illustrated in the drawings, it is common knowledge that the tail pipe 13 is usually bent upwardly to extend over the rear axle of the vehicle in modern day automobiles Thus it is true that the muier is the lowest part of the system between the automobile engine 10 and the I rearend of the tail pipe 13, not illustrated in th'e drawings.

In order to prevent moisture from collecting in the muier trough, I .provide a moisture trap which is indicated in general by the numeral 141.' This moisture trap: l

islocated in the exhaust pipe 11 forwardly of the'l muifler 10. As a result, much of the moisture which is v condensed in the exhaust pipe at the time the vehicle engine is started into motion is collected in the trap 14 rather than in the muffler 12. As a result, the life of the mufller ispindenitelyfincreasedl In general, the condensation trap includes a trough shaped member 1.5, illustrated in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, which is designed'to fit the curvature of rthe exhaust pipe 11 at the horizontal portion 16 thereof. As'

illustrated in the drawings, the trough shaped portion 15 which is usually formed of metal, is Alined with an inner lining of a gasket forming material such as asbestos sheathing or the like. Thus the trough shaped member 15 may be applied to the exhaust line 11 Vwithout the loss of gases through the walls of the exhaust pipe which would create a considerable increase in the noise produced by the engine.

As is indicated in Figure 2` of the drawings, a generally I rectangular opening 17 is cut in the lower portion of the exhaust pipe 11 in the horizontal portion 16 thereof. Thisy opening 17 is of sufficient size to permit the exhaust of liquid which has condensed within the exhaust pipe 11.`

While this portion is described as cylindrical, it'

sure 20 is bent upwardly and another portion 22 of this i same cover 20 is bent downwardly to provide an opening passage 23 therebetween. The upwardly projecting portion 21 projects above the surface of the. trough shaped member 15 so that gases passing through the exhaust pipe, and particularly those which are heavy with-moisture, will be directed downwardly into thetrap body 19.

The body 19 of the condensate trap which has been ydescribed for the purposes of illustration as being cylindrical in form, includes a cone shaped bottom extremity 24 having a central opening 25 therein. A disc 26 of coarse screening or the like extends across this cone shaped bottom 24 and a finer screen 27 overlies the coarser screen 26. This arrangement is provided to support the body of insulation and of absorbent material 29 which normally rests upon the screen 27. If the absorbent material 29 is of sullicient body to rest upon the coarse screen 26 without disintegration, or if this porous body is possessed of sufficient strength to bridge the lower end of the condensate trap, the screens 26 and 27 may be eliminated..

A fine screen 39 overlies the body of insulation material 29 and a coarser screen 40 overlies the finer screen 39. As a result, the insulation and absorbent material is confined between the screen structures thereby permitting a liquid to absorb thereinto, without disintegration of the absorbent material, and so that this material cannot crumble or otherwise disintegrate and pass through the lower opening 25.

As an example of the material which maybe yused to form the filter 29, ground asbestos has been effectively used. However, any material which is resistant to heat and which tends to absorb moisture may be useful for this purpose. For example expanded vermiculite or vexpanded mica granules may be employed. Materials of this type, which are resistant to heat andwhich tend to cling to moisture', will hold the moisture entrapped until the body of the trap becomes sufciently heated'to vaporabsorbed by the material 29 therein.

, orate the moisture.

ize the liquid. It should be noted that by the time the -liquid within the trap is vaporized, the body'ofthe whichftends to' collect the moisture'l which condenses'on the pipe particularly when the exhaust pipe is extremely cold and when the exhaust gases are laden with moisture, a condition which normally exists-in an automobile engine when the engine is started in cold weather. The moisture which is entrained in the exhaust gases tendto collect and to be condensedgon the exhaust pipe until the time this exhaustpipe is heated` sutciently to evaporate this moisture. The liquids which `are condensed on the exhaust pipe,'drain into the condensate trap and are In the event an excess of Amoisture is experienced, the moisture will drain completely through the material in the filter 29 and will drain through the drain opening 25.

The virtually moisture free exhaust gases pass into the muler -12 and into the tail'pipe 13, heating these parts to a temperature capable of evaporating moisture. However, as the mufller 12 is a relativelyV large diameter and all of the muffler is not subjectedgto the same heat, an excess of moisture may collect in this mufller particularly when the vehicle' engine does notremain in operation for a very long period. This causesthe moisture to erode the inner surface of the mufller and to eventually cause failure thereof.

With the present system, the excessof moisture is collected in the moisture trap and this moisture will either drain from the bottom of the trap, or remain entrapped in the body of insulation and absorbent material until the outer body of this trap isl heated sufficiently to evap- In such an event, the evaporated moisture will be carried by the exhaust gases completely through the muffler and through the tail pipe as these parts have by this time been heated to a tempenature above the temperature of the trap.

In accordance with the patent statutes, the principals and construction of the present invention have been deprising a hollow body having top, bottom and side walls,

said top wall having one portion thereof bent upwardly to extend through the opening into said exhaust pipe and another portion thereof bent downwardly into said body to provide an opening through said top wall, said bottom wall having an opening therethrough to permit the escape of condensation that enters through said top opening, absorbent material supported within said body intermediate said upper and lower openings, and means to clamp said hollow body to the exhaust pipe.

2. A condensation trap for attachment to a straight portion of a conventional exhaust pipe extending between an internal combustion engine and a muffler and having an opening in the lower surface thereof, the trap comprising a hollow body having top, bottom and side walls, said top wall having one portion thereof bent upwardly to extend through said opening into the exhaust pipe and another portion bent downwardly into said body to provide an opening through said top wall, said bottom wall having an opening therethrough to permit the escape of condensation that enters through said top opening, absorbent material supported within said body intermediate said upper and lower openings, said hollow body having trough shaped sections extending in opposite directions from the opposite sides of said top wall in general longitudinal alignment with said bent portions, and clamping means adopted to encircle said trough shaped sections and said exhaust pipe to retain said trap in xed relation with saidttpipe and with said bent portions oriented so as to cause said top opening to face in a direction counter to gas ow through the exhaust pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

